The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-04-22

After making up his mind that could
not harm him, he held his head up,
swung his tail about, and advanced al
a slow pace. was under cover. and
he might have suspected a trap. But
for this he would have probably made
rush. The tiger displayed exactly the
same characteristics as cat creeping
upon her prey. He crept, crawled.
twisted about, and sought to shelter
his body behind the slightest tuft Of
grass. He did not however, take his
eyes off me for the tenth of q second.
and the nearer he came the more his
great lips parted to show his yellow
teeth. He was as supple as q snake,
and nothing could be more graceful
than his movements. l could see his
tremendous muscles CULVER as he NOV
ed, and I remember of what power he
must have in his legs. 1t was all Of
ten minutes before the beasts approach
ed the point where they realized each
others presence. You would have
thought. with only wall separating
them. that they must have heard or
scented each other. The fact that they
did not was probably owing to the
excitement under which they labored.
BY and by the lion was almost at tho
end of the wall, and near enough for
his spring. He crouched down,
switched his tail in a menacing way,
and l plainly saw his talons dig into
the earth as he gathered his muscles
for great effort. While there was a
settled determination on his part to
make food of me, there was certain
of his general demeanor.
1t was plain that he was mystified. but
his ferOciOus nature prevailed.
The tiger kept abreast of the lion,
and he was the first to take the alarm.
He evidently scented the lion, for he
reared up, snuffed the air. and then
flung out paw and spat like an angry
cat. This noise startled the lion, and
he rose up, showed his teeth. and took
his eyes off me for the first time.
Either animal could easily have leaped
the wall. but neither attempted it. The
tiger took on fiercer look and drop
ped some of his stealth, but the lion
reached the end of the wall
first, uttering Il roar Of defiance
and evidently expecting to meet an
enemy. The tiger was four or five feet
from the end of the wall, and the move
he made was 50 quick that my eyes
could not follow it. As the lions head
showed around the wall the big cat
made lightning spring, and the next
instant the two were rolling over and
over at my feet, fighting as only such
beasts can fight, and growing in a
manner to make my hair turn gray. 1t
was then that strength came back to
ne, and l rose up. but instead of rush
ng away l ran back into the building.
the rear wall I stood there
prisoner and spectator. The first
.linch lasted about three minutes, and
was characterized by such ferocity as
[ can not describe. While the lion
md the tiger are probably natural
enemies. 1 suppose the fact that both
had planned to make meat of me.
and both felt themselves disappointed.
all their ferocity. Most of the
time during the first clinch they were
rolling ever and over like a big ball.
tearing, biting and growing. and the
of the tiger were much the
quickest They finally separated, each
backed off a few feet, and each stood
broadside to me. could see half
lozen blOod-stains on the lions side,
while the tiger had been terribly bit
ten about the neck, and there was
bloody scratch on his quarter. They
laced each other for about a minute,
he lion roaring in deep bass and the
Tiger snarling like an enraged cat.
Then. as swift as fash of lightning,
he tiger bounded through space and
,lighted on the lions back. and a ain
hey rolled and tumbled about. The
light was too fierce to be kept up long,
md too determined not to result in
severe injuries.
When the beasts finally struggled to
heir feet, the tiger had hold of the lion
ust back of the foreshoulder and he
lung there and worried the king as
log would sheep. Twice the lion
'elped out as if he had lost his courage,
tut he suddenly made a grand exertion
,rOke the tigers hold, and then turned
md caught him by the neck. thought
III was over with the cat. The lion
lctually lifted him clear off the ground
md shook him, and this time the tiger
vhined. After a bit, however. he
visited his body around until his hind
laws came into play. and then the
ion had to let go. There was another
est for a minute or two, and again the
iger was the aggressive party. This
ime they fought more like dogs,
leithcr seeming able to down the other
md they kept wor>ing away from the
towards the creek. advance
d as they retreated. and they were
till doing their best to destroy
ach other when they rolled off the
'ank into the creek. Each WAS cover
d with blood from nose to tail, and
he injuries inflicted must have been
eriOus. The tumble into the water
eparated them. and while the tiger
cached the opposite bank at one spot,
he lion crawled out at another thirty
Get away. and both limped into the
orest without the slightest desire to
enew the fght.-N 7. Sun.